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The record label representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to receive a share of royalties from a song it asserts was produced using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the performer's unique vocal style.

The track, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, achieved massive traction on TikTok last October, in part due to its polished R&B vocals by an unnamed female vocalist.

Despite its momentum and impending top 40 entry in both UK and US, the song was subsequently banned by leading music services after music bodies sent takedown requests, alleging it violated copyright by imitating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has now been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it is convinced the initial version was generated with AI trained on her extensive work and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Larger Issue at Stake

"This isn't just about Jorja. It's bigger than a single performer or a single track," the label wrote in a recent statement.

FAMM also stated its view that "each versions of the song violate Jorja's rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the songwriters with whom she works."

Famous for songs like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned British Female Solo Artist at the annual Brit Awards in 2019.

Implying that her supporters were possibly deceived by Haven's first track, the label added: "We cannot allow this to be the new normal."

Producers Acknowledge Employing AI Technology

The team responsible for the song have publicly admitted utilizing AI in its creation.

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the initial vocals were in fact his own but were heavily altered using AI music platform Suno, often called the "ChatGPT for music".

Meanwhile, the second producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "give our original vocal a feminine tone".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and created the song themselves and have even provided evidence of their source computer files.

"This shouldn't be secret that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to convert exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"As a songwriter and producer, I like using innovative technologies, methods and staying on the cutting edge of industry trends," he added.

"In order to set the record straight, the artists behind HAVEN are real and people, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for fellow humans."

Regulatory Uncertainty and Industry Implications

While their original release of 'I Run' was blocked from official rankings, the new version did break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has positioned the entire episode as a significant precedent for the entertainment sector's changing interaction with AI.

The label argued it had "an obligation to speak up" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially outpacing legal oversight".

"AI-generated content should be clearly labelled as such so that the audience may choose whether they listen to it or not," the message continued.

Artists as 'Collateral Victims'

Smith shared her label's statement on her personal social media profile.

The post warned that artists and songwriters were becoming "unintended casualties in the competition by policymakers and tech firms towards AI dominance".

It also stated that the label would distribute any awarded royalties with the writers behind Smith's catalogue.

"If we are able in establishing that AI helped to compose the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to assign each of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Continuing Growth of AI Music

The proliferation of algorithmically created music has been a source of both fascination and consternation for the entertainment world.

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to help develop their musical style.
• Recently, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, showing that listeners are not always averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for copyright infringement by the industry's three largest record labels, though those legal actions have now been resolved.

Following this, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the company, which will enable users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who opt in to the service.

However, it is unclear how a large number of established musicians will agree to such uses of their work.

Just last week, a collective of prominent artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album containing silent songs or recordings of quiet studios in opposition to potential revisions to intellectual property regulations.

They argue these changes would make it easier for AI companies to train systems using protected work without securing a license.